Agni Purana

नासिकापुटमङ्गुल्या पीड्यैव च परेण च । औदरं रेचयेद्वायुं रेचनाद्रेचकः स्मृतः ।। ३७३.

Pressing the nostrils with the fingers and with the other hand, one should expel the breath from the abdomen; expelling is called recaka.

बाह्येन वायुना देहं दृतिवत् पूरयेद्यथा । तथा पूर्णश्च सन्तिष्ठेत् पूरणात् पूरकः स्मृतः ।। ३७३.

With external air, one should fill the body as if with firmness; thus, remaining full after filling, this is called pūraka.

. न मुञ्चति न गृह्णाति वायुमन्तर्बहिः स्थितम् । सम्पूर्णकुम्भवत्तिष्ठेदचलः स तु कुम्भकः ।। ३७३.

One neither releases nor takes in the breath, remaining inside or outside; staying unmoving like a full jar, this is called kumbhaka.

कन्यकः सकृदुद्‌घातः स वै द्वादशमात्रिकः । मध्यमश्च द्विरुद्‌घातश्चतुर्विंशतिमात्रिकः ।। ३७३.

The 'kanyaka' is performed with a single exhalation, and it measures twelve beats; the 'madhyama' is done with two exhalations, and it measures twenty-four beats.

उत्तमश्च त्रिरुद्‌घातः षट्‌त्रिंशत्तालमात्रिकः । स्वेदकम्पाभिघातानां जननश्चोत्तमोत्तमः ।। ३७३.

The 'uttama' is performed with three exhalations, measuring thirty-six beats; among the causes of sweating and trembling, the highest is generated by this.

अजितान्नारुहेद्‌भूमिं हिक्काश्वासादयस्तथा । जिते प्राणे स्वल्पदोषविण्मूत्रादि प्रजायते ।। ३७३.

If food is not conquered, one rises from the earth with hiccups, breathlessness, and similar ailments; but when breath is mastered, only minor faults of stool and urine arise.

आरोग्यं शीघ्रगामित्वमुत्साहः स्वरसौष्ठवम् । बलवर्णप्रसादश्च सर्वदोषक्षयः फलं ।। ३७३.

Health, quick movement, enthusiasm, excellence of voice, strength, clarity of complexion, and the destruction of all faults are the results.

जपध्यानं विनागर्भः स गर्भस्तत्समन्वितः । इन्द्रियाणां जयार्थाय स गर्भं धारयेत्परं ।। ३७३.

Without recitation and meditation, it is called 'garbha'; with them, it is 'garbha' accompanied; for the conquest of the senses, one should hold the supreme 'garbha'.

ज्ञानवैराग्ययुक्ताभ्यां प्राणायामवशेन च । इन्द्रियांश्च विनिर्जित्य सर्वमेव जितं भवेत् ।। ३७३.

With knowledge and detachment, and by the power of breath-control, having conquered the senses, everything is thereby conquered.

इन्द्रियाण्येव तत्सर्वं यत् स्वर्गनरकावुभौ । निगृहीतविसृष्टानि स्वर्गाय नरकाय च ।। ३७३.

All the senses are indeed the means by which both heaven and hell are attained; when restrained, they lead to heaven, and when released, to hell.

शरीरं रथमित्याहुरिन्द्रियाण्यस्य वाजिनः । मनश्च सारथिः प्रोक्तः प्राणायामः कशः स्मृतः ।। ३७३.

They say the body is a chariot, its senses are the horses; the mind is called the charioteer, and breath-control is remembered as the whip.

ज्ञानवैराग्यरश्मिभ्यां सायया विधृतं मनः । शनैर्निश्चलतामेति प्राणायामैकसंहितम् ।। ३७३.

The mind, held by the rays of knowledge and detachment, gradually becomes motionless, united with breath-control.

जलबिन्दुं [https://vedastudy.yolasite.com/kusha1.php कुशाग्रेण] मासे मासे पिबेत्तु यः । संवत्सरशतं साग्रं प्राणायामश्च तत्समः ।। ३७३.

He who drinks a drop of water with a blade of grass each month lives for a hundred years and more; breath-control is equal to that.

इन्द्रियाणि प्रसक्तानि प्रविश्य विषयोदधौ । आहृत्य यो निगृह्णाति प्रत्याहारः स उच्यते ।। ३७३.

When the senses, absorbed in the ocean of objects, are withdrawn and restrained, that is called 'pratyahara'.

उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं मज्जमानं यथाम्भसि । भोगनद्यतिवेगेन ज्ञानवृक्षं समाश्रयेत् ।। ३७३.

One should lift oneself by oneself, as from water when sinking; swept by the current of enjoyment, one should take refuge in the tree of knowledge.

अग्निरुवाच ध्यै चिन्तायां स्मृतो धातुर्विष्णुचिन्ता मुहुर्मुहुः । अनाक्षिप्तेन मनसा ध्यानमित्यभिधीयते ।। ३७४.

Agni said: Meditation is remembered as contemplation; repeated contemplation of Vishnu, with an undistracted mind, is called meditation.

आत्मनः समनस्कस्य मुक्ताशेषोपधस्य च । ब्रह्मचिन्तासमा शक्तिर्ध्यानं नाम तदुच्यते ।। ३७४.

For one whose mind is steady and free from all obstacles, the power equal to contemplation of Brahman is called meditation.

ध्येयालम्बनसंस्थस्य सदृशप्रत्ययस्य च । प्रत्ययान्तरनिर्मुक्तः प्रत्ययो ध्यानमुच्यते ।। ३७४.

For one established in the object of meditation, with a corresponding thought, when freed from other thoughts, that thought is called meditation.

ध्येयावस्थितचित्तस्य प्रदेशे यत्र कुत्रचित् । ध्यानमेतत्समुद्दिष्टं प्रत्ययस्यैकभावना ।। ३७४.

For one whose mind is fixed on the object of meditation, wherever in any place, meditation is defined as the single contemplation of that thought.

एवं ध्यानसमायुक्तः स्वदेहं यः परित्यजत् । कुलं स्वजनमित्राणि समुद्‌धृत्य हरिर्भवेत् ।। ३७४.

Thus, one who, endowed with meditation, abandons his own body, having uplifted his family, relatives, and friends, becomes Hari.

एवं मुहूर्त्तमर्धं वा ध्यायेद् यः श्रद्ध्या हरिं । सोपि यां गतिमाप्नोति न तां सर्वैर्महामखैः ।। ३७४.

Thus, whoever meditates on Hari for even half a moment with faith attains a state that cannot be reached by all the great sacrifices.

ध्याता ध्यानं तथा ध्येयं यच्च ध्यानप्रयोजनं । एतच्चतुष्टयं ज्ञात्वा योगं युञ्जीत तत्त्ववित् ।। ३७४.

Having understood the fourfold: the meditator, meditation, the object of meditation, and the purpose of meditation, one who knows the truth should practice yoga.

योगाभ्यासाद्‌भवेन्मुक्तिरैश्वर्य्यञ्चाष्टधा महत् । ज्ञानवैराग्यसम्पन्नः श्रद्दधानः क्षमान्वितः ।। ३७४.

Through the practice of yoga, liberation arises, and also the eightfold great powers; endowed with knowledge and detachment, with faith and patience.

विष्णुभक्तः सदोत्साही ध्यातेत्थं पुरुषः स्मृतः । मूर्तामूर्त्तं परम्ब्रह्म हरेर्ध्यानं हि चिन्तनम् ।। ३७४.

A devotee of Vishnu, always enthusiastic, is remembered as one who meditates thus; meditation on Hari is contemplation of the embodied and unembodied Supreme Brahman.

सकलो निष्कलो ज्ञेयः सर्वज्ञः परमो हरिः । अणिमादिगुणैश्वर्य्यं मुक्तिर्ध्यानप्रयोजनम् ।। ३७४.

Hari, the Supreme, is to be known as both with form and without form, all-knowing; the purpose of meditation is liberation and the powers beginning with aṇimā.

फलेन योजको विष्णुरतो ध्यायेत् परेश्वरं । गच्छंस्तिष्ठन् स्वपन् जाग्रदुन्मिषन्निमिषन्नपि ।। ३७४.

Vishnu is the one who connects with the fruit; therefore, one should meditate on the Supreme Lord, whether walking, standing, sleeping, awake, with eyes open or closed.

शुचिर्वाप्यशुचिर्वापि ध्यायेत् सततमीश्वरम् । स्वदेहायतनस्यान्ते मनसि स्थाप्य केशवम् ।। ३७४.

Whether pure or impure, one should always meditate on the Lord, placing Keshava within the mind at the end of one's own bodily abode.

हृत्पद्मपीठिकामध्ये ध्यानयोगेन पूजयेत् । ध्यानयज्ञः परः शुद्धः सर्वदोषक्विर्ज्जितः ।। ३७४.

In the center of the lotus-seat of the heart, one should worship through the yoga of meditation; the meditation-sacrifice is supreme, pure, and free from all faults.

तेनेष्ट्वा मुक्तिमाप्नोति वाह्यशुद्धैश्च नाध्वरैः । हिंसादोषविमुक्तित्वाद्विशुद्धिश्चित्तसाधनः ।। ३७४.

By offering this, one attains liberation, not through external pure sacrifices; because it is free from the fault of violence, purification is accomplished by the discipline of the mind.